CORPORATE HEADSHOTS
FOR LARGE TEAMS
Planning a headshot shoot that makes you look like the team that you are?
first impressions matter...
Whether you are scaling up or have an already established team, there's no doubt about it... first impressions matter. A consistent, professional company image is vital to gaining trust and conveying your expertise. We've all seen it – every team member's headshot is a different style and crop from a different time and place, in a different format. You know it's time for a refresh and reset, and you've come to the right place!
I've been a headshot photographer for over 15 years, so have a lot of experience in helping clients with headshot sessions that run smoothly and efficiently. Keep reading for some of my top tips for planning corporate headshots for large teams - I'll talk as if I am your photographer (which, of course, I hope I will be!) but you can apply these to any headshot session you're planning.
1) where and when?
If you're organising headshots for 5 people or 500 you want to think about where and when makes it easiest for you. With the popularity of hybrid working it may be rare to have every team member on site so with that in mind - what day and location is going to work best for your company? Do you meet on a specific day for a team meeting or is there a town hall or staff celebration coming up?
Once that's decided, I will bring my mobile studio directly to you. We can shoot at your offices or any off-site location. You could even include some coverage of your event as part of the shoot to really maximise our time together!
Let me know if you have a specific deadline for needing the images back – a website launch, a presentation or a panel event? If your schedule is tight I can whip you to the top of my edit list.
2) specific times or drop-in sessions?
Whether you assign specific times to people or operate more of a drop-in session largely depends on how many people we are shooting. If it is 5 it makes sense to tell Jack he's at 10.10 and Krish she's at 10.20 etc etc but if we are shooting 40+ it can become a lot of admin to chase no shows. I've had clients create a google doc of times (get in touch if you'd like me to send you my example) and the teams pop their name in the times that work for them. This is good for last minute changes to schedules or emergency meetings which have to take precedence over the headshots. You could group people together and send them over in a 20 minute slot. You could also just say, 'Elyse is in the Cromwell Meeting Room from 10-4 today, pop in for 5 minutes to have your headshot taken'. I will always keep a list of names in the order I shoot them (there are always slight changes on the day) so we know who we have captured and who is still left. I also use this list to rename files at the end of the editing process so you will never have to wonder who that random newbie you don't recognise is!
3) split sessions over more than one day?
In the past with really large teams (I'm thinking of my clients where we've done 75-450... yep!!!!) it's made sense to book sessions over a few different days to give people the best opportunity of being able to fit the headshot into their work schedule. You could book 2 full days on different days of the week or 3 half day sessions, whatever is going to work best for your team and give a couple of chances to mop up any no-shows due to sickness/ last minute priorities.
4) how much time do we need per person?
Optimum timings for me would be 5-10 minutes per person (let's call it 7!). However, it may be that we need to work to a smaller time frame to fit in to breaks in meetings or people's work schedules. Let me know your parameters and I can let you know if it's possible. My absolute record is shooting 127 people in 90 minutes from 8.30-10am before a company meeting began (they were a very organised and well-behaved bunch!!)
5) reluctant subjects!
90% of the people I photograph are reluctant to have their headshot done so if you are on the receiving end of some moaning or backlash in organising headshots for a large team, you are not alone! They may not think they 'take a good photograph' but as I always say – 'I do!!' They just haven't had the right photographer yet. People bring so much more than just their favourite top and a spot of lip gloss to a shoot. They're bringing every picture their friend took in bag lighting at a bad angle and posted because THEY looked fab. They're bringing aging and changing bodies and life experiences. I get it, I promise.I am bringing experience with posing and lighting and bucketloads of compassion PLUS any photoshopping that is needed or wanted comes as standard with final edited image choices.
Lighting and posing are important but the really essential part is having a sympathetic and kind photographer who understands all of the above. My main job on the day is to help people relax in a nerve-wracking situation. And I'm REALLY good at it. I will always acknowledge the awkwardness of the situation and reassure them with my secret and special blend of kindness, humour and making a tit of myself. Works like a charm!!
6) adding new people to the team
Teams shift and change over time so it's very common to need top up sessions after your initial booking to accommodate new starters or sometimes no-shows on the initial shoot day. I always create a backdrop 'slate' to use at a later date so I can make sure the headshots for your large team will always look consistent.
7) plain or more interesting background?
This really depends on a mixture of factors. What are the images being used for – is something simple and classic going to be more useful for your purposes? For example, do you pitch for a lot of client work and want to be able to present your team in an approachable, simple style? You could choose a simple white or grey background or other individual colour that fits your brand. Or do we want something a little more eye catching that fits with your company look and feel, perhaps a spot in your offices? I can help you with all of these decisions – get in touch if you have any questions at all.
8) making final headshot choices
Included in your quote will be a specific number of edited choices per person (in colour and B+W) depending on your needs. I tend to quote based on 2 per person which allows us to try for a smaller smile and a bigger smile version so you have built in versatility from the shoot. Big smiles don't work for every need (imagine there is some bad news in your industry and the headshot needs to accompany a quote). With really large teams I generally suggest letting me decide on which 2 are best from the session with the caveat that anyone who asks during the session can of course be sent an unedited online gallery from which to make their own choices. Erring on the side of letting your trusted photographer choose for you saves a lot of admin time where you may need to chase and remind people. There is also the added benefit of people only seeing their final polished headshot, especially useful for nervous patients (see point 5!). However, if you would rather let people make their own choices it's no problem at all to set up unedited galleries for people. They can select their favourites online by selecting the ones they like and I can see everything from the backend. Final edited choices can be downloaded directly from your online gallery.
9) how much does all this cost?
Pricing depends on time on site and how many people you need photographed so do get in touch for your personalised quote.
Example cost - 2 hours, 10 people
(including travel with equipment, 2 edited headshots per person in colour and B+W and permission for use) £925 (£1110 inc VAT). This is made up of the first hour per day at £350, each additional hour at £150 and a £40 per person charge . Use the contact form below to tell me about your shoot needs - discounts available for large numbers!
(including travel with equipment, 2 edited headshots per person in colour and B+W and permission for use) £925 (£1110 inc VAT). This is made up of the first hour per day at £350, each additional hour at £150 and a £40 per person charge . Use the contact form below to tell me about your shoot needs - discounts available for large numbers!
so there we have it!
My 9 most frequently asked questions about planning corporate headshot sessions for large teams in London and beyond! All laid out for you in one handy blog post... gosh you're lucky to have me! As always, if you have any other questions or would like a personalised quote for your specific photo needs, don't hesitate to get in touch using the details or the form below.
Any questions or ready to book?
Use the contact form or these details:
hello@elysemarksimaging.com
07932 038 165
